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BY BILL FREEHLING

Exactly one month ago today in Spotsylvania County, 21-year-old Katya "Kat" Malinina bested a field of about 220 to win the first Fred Vegas Poker Open.

Today, the Ashland resident begins cashing in on the grand prize--a chance to compete against the best players in the world at the main event of the annual World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas.

Malinina's $10,000 entry fee for the event at the Rio hotel was covered by Miller-Coors, one of the primary sponsors of the Fred Vegas tournament, which was a fundraiser that netted $37,044 for Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters. Malinina also won airfare to Las Vegas, four nights of accommodations and a gold championship bracelet.

A record 10,000 people are expected to enter this year's WSOP main event, which has increased in prominence since ESPN began airing coverage a few years back. Opening-round play started Friday and ends today; Malinina happened to start play on the last day of the opening round.

Malinina, whose nickname is "Kat Scratch," will play again Wednesday if she advances today. If she makes it past that day she'll start up again Friday. Then play continues until the field is down to nine, a process expected to last through July 15. Those nine will be at the "final table" when play resumes in November.

Malinina, who works in technical support for Wachovia Bank and has aspirations to someday play poker professionally, has the same goal in mind that she had at the Fred Vegas Poker Open.

"I don't want anything except first place," she said. "You've got to set your mind to win and nothing else."

If she does win or make the final table, it will pay off big for the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. Malinina plans to donate a cut of her winnings to the charity.

Last year's winner, Peter Eastgate, raked in $9.1 million. Everyone who made the final table made at least $900,000.

A LAST-MINUTE ENTRY

Malinina's family moved to the United States from St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2002. She was a quick study of the English language and now speaks it nearly flawlessly. She plans to apply for U.S. citizenship soon.

She met her fiance, Matt Eidson, when she was 16 and living in New Jersey. Eidson, whose family lives in the Fredericksburg area, taught her to play poker. She immediately fell in love with the psychological aspects of the game, which she now plays several times a week.

Malinina has poker friends throughout the Fredericksburg and Richmond areas. She and Eidson entered a smaller tournament in Vegas in May; she was disappointed with her results.

Eidson is a good friend and poker buddy of Fredericksburg resident Mike Monter, who has volunteered with the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter for 18 years. Malinina has gotten to know Monter well through poker and other interactions.

Monter was the main organizer of the Fred Vegas Poker Open, which he plans to run again next year. He lined up sponsors and prizes for the top-10 finishers, arranged to hold the event free of charge at the Moose Family Center and hired a Richmond company to supply dealers and poker tables.

Malinina, who will soon become a big sister herself through Big Brothers Big Sisters, had volunteered to be a dealer at the event. But at the last minute Monter told her he had enough dealers.

So she made the $250 "suggested donation" to Big Brothers Big Sisters and entered.

GETTING READY FOR VEGAS

After 11 grueling hours playing against people from all over Virginia and beyond, Malinina won the June 6 event on the final hand with a pair of fours.

Monter said only about eight women entered the event, yet both finalists were female. Janet Butkus, the runner-up, won a free entry to a $1,500 poker tournament in Vegas, along with airfare and three nights of accommodations.

Malinina said she hasn't played cards for the past few weeks to "let her mind rest" for the Vegas main event. She has been focusing on eating right and staying physically fit for the long days that could lie ahead should she continue to advance.

She rented a convertible Ford Mustang to cruise Lake Mead during breaks from the hours and hours playing cards.

When asked about her strategy, Malinina at first joked that she'd have to kill the interviewer if she revealed it. But then she said she plans to play conservatively early on, taking in information about the people at her table.

Neil Glancy, who owns the Fred Vegas artwork used at the tournament, as well as fredvegas.net, has already seen enough of Malinina's play to think she could make a nice run in the tournament. Glancy started watching her near the end of the tournament and was impressed by what he saw.

"I think she'll give those boys a run for their money, he said.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com